Buoyed by the gold medal won by the women’s national team at the San Marino GSSE earlier this month, the Malta Basketball Association (MBA) is bracing itself for a busy summer.

Next week, the MBA will be hosting the FIBA U-18 Women’s Championship Division C.

The tournament will be held between July 4 and 9  at the National Sport School Gym in Pembroke.

Five countries will be competing in the round robin championship with Malta opening its commitments against Gibraltar.

The hosts will then face Armenia, Kosovo and Cyprus.

The team is under the supervision of coach Sandro Farrugia who is assisted by Silvia Gambino.

Meanwhile, the men’s U-18 selection will be flying to Nicosia in Cyprus to play in this year’s FIBA Championship Division C.

The national team will be one of eight countries vying for top spot and were drawn in Group B alongside San Marino, Gibraltar and Moldova.

Group A will feature Norway, Armenia, Cyprus and Kosovo.

Malta, led by coach Andrea Paccarie and his assistant Ruben Baldacchino, will open its commitments against San Marino before taking Gibraltar and Moldova.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals.

Further national commitments await the MBA in the following weeks

Malta is set for its first ever participation in the FIBA Under 20 Men’s Championships to be held in Romania between July 14 and 23.

The Under 16 selection for both boys ande girls will also compete in the  FIBA Division C championships that will be held in Andorra and Gibraltar respectively at the end of July.

Men U-18 squad

Paul Attard, Nicholas Formosa, Isaac Bonett, Ian Felice Pace, Alex Xuereb, Nathan Xuereb, Keith Dimech, Mirco Azzopardi, Owen Psaila, Matthias Buhagiar, Michael Sjoberg, Kurt Cassar.

Women U-18 squad

Kristy Galea, Sophie Abela, Kaya Calleja, Lena Ferrante, Martina Ferrante, Christine Borg Millo, Jaelle Micallef, Nicole Hili, Nicole Vella, Nina Jo Buttigieg, Kirsty Caruana, Katya Zerafa.